


Is that what you know?

by Pegship



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pegship/pseuds/Pegship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They never looked over their shoulders; they both knew the other would always be there.</p><p>When Clint saw her riding the Chitauri and calling, “A little help here!” he finally felt like himself, really, for the first time since he’d come to in the infirmary. Nat was <i>there</i>, his target was <i>there</i>, he had the perfect shot and the perfect weapon for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Is that what you know?

“I’ve been compromised.”

Even as Clint realized what Nat meant, he knew better than to address it. The part of his mind (his mind dammit) that was on high alert had to stay there and not go down a path that might distract him in battle.

He settled for laying a hand on her knee and wasn’t at all surprised when she had no reaction.

* * *

They were both skilled at being in the moment, which was why they could both fall in behind Cap and into the battle on the ground, using anything at hand to eliminate as many targets as possible. 

Budapest all over again? Budapest had been a shitstorm. Clint had had a hole in his side and a knee that wouldn’t hold any weight, so he’d been shooting from a fixed location and hating every minute. Nat had been like a black arrow, flying from spot to spot around him, never looking over her shoulder.

They never looked over their shoulders; they both knew the other would always be there.

When Clint saw her riding the Chitauri and calling, “A little help here!” he finally felt like himself, really, for the first time since he’d come to in the infirmary. Nat was there, his target was there, he had the perfect shot and the perfect weapon for it.

* * *

Clint had the chance to at least aim for Loki’s eye socket, and no one questioned his right to do so. Nat had the blue staff in her hand, and somehow that absolved the artifact of any stigma in his eyes.

It was dark by the time the team arrived on the helicarrier, and Fury had given them a terse verbal update which boded ill for the WSC. He said they’d all done some phenomenal work that day and to take a load off until further notice. 

Cap, Natasha, Banner, and Clint headed to their quarters – Banner had been given a bunk between bulkheads and on the outside perimeter of the ship – and Clint realized that they’d surrounded him fore and aft in order to shield him from the confused and angry expressions on the faces of their crewmates.

He’d have to deal with that eventually. Right now he had a higher priority.

He nodded to the others as he went into his cabin. A very hot, very quick shower and change later, he went down the hall and tapped on Natasha’s door. When she opened it he went right in, as usual, and she engaged the lock, as usual.

This time, though, it wasn’t a debrief or strategy session he’d come for, not really. Nat had changed also, into a tank tee and sweat pants that nearly matched his own (inwardly he smiled at memories of times they’d accidentally swapped), and she sat cross-legged on her bunk.

Clint stood leaning on the wall opposite, hands in his pockets, and said quietly, “You said you were compromised.”

Nat was used to following his leaps of thought. He could tell she knew what he was saying, but apparently she had nothing further to say about it, just gazing calmly at him and cocking her head as if to say, so what?

He knew where they’d kept Loki during his short stay, where he would have had visitors, so he went over to Nat’s network console and tapped a few keys, bringing up the classified security feed from earlier in the day. 

“Clint – “ said Natasha, almost reproachfully, but he ignored her. He was certain that her conversation with Loki would give him some insight, and he was right.

There was the conversation. He spared no glance at his tormentor, but watched Natasha as she played cat and mouse with him, half-truths and careless lies. An apt opponent for the god of lies and mischief.

_“I’ve got red in my ledger. I’d like to wipe it out.”_

Loki advanced on her, threatening, flaying her with his words, and she played him for everything he had, pretending fear and horror, snapping back into command mode once she’d figured it out. Leaving him with mouth agape and mind confused, all with a smile on her face.

“You’re a piece of work, Nat,” said Clint. “Always were. Wish I could have been there.”

“Me, too,” she said. He turned to see her sitting with her chin on her hand, watching him.

“You know you don’t owe me anything, just like I don’t owe you,” said Clint. “We had that conversation a long time ago. So how were you compromised?”

“I think you know,” Nat hedged, completely unlike her.

“I want you to tell me,” said Clint softly. “Not for my sake, but to be honest with yourself.”

She looked up at him with an expression he’d never seen on her face, pleading, not afraid, but anxious all the same, and he reminded himself that he was more than ten years her elder, that she’d probably never felt or spoken of love in a normal human way. He needed her to say it, though.

Stepping closer, he said, “If I’m wrong, you can beat me up again.”

That got a smile out of her. “I do that all the time anyway.”

“It’s part of your charm.”

He took another step, moving within arm’s reach, and Nat leaned into him, head bowed on his chest as he laid his hands gently on her shoulders.

“Come on, Natasha,” said Clint. “How long have we known each other? How many times have we been on the edge of death together? How often have we had to know what the other is thinking? Hasn’t it been long enough, deep enough, for you to know what I know?”

“What’s that,” she said, her voice muffled.

“That I love you,” he murmured. “That you love me.”

She tipped her chin up to look at him. “Is this love, Agent Barton?” she asked, mimicking Loki’s sneer. “Love is for children…isn’t it?”

He shook his head. “That’s what they told you. They told you a lot of things, didn’t they? And it’s hard to tell, sometimes, which of those things were lies. Well, Natalia Alianovna, I can tell you that love is not only for children. And I love you.”

Nat laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. Clint stroked her hair until she sighed and said, “God help me, I love you, too, Clint.”

She looked up at him again and he saw in her eyes that she meant it, in the same way that he meant it, that she wasn’t lying to end the conversation. He was probably the only person in the world she trusted enough to be so transparent, and he did not treat that lightly.

Thus he waited for her to move, to raise her head, her gaze on his lips as she approached them. When her mouth brushed against his, Clint put his arms around her and bent his head into the kiss.


End file.
